Engine-stabteb



H. E. VAN NESS.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLxcATmN min ma. 2o. larg.

1,375,870, mantenu. 26,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET n.

H. VAN NESS.

ENGINE STARTER. APPucATloN man MAR. 2o. 1919.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

MMM; @Y @n M M7 lafford any 4is in itsnormal or i UNITED STATES HENRY E.

PATENT OFFICE.

ASSIGNOR T0 CLIPS MACHINE COM- ENGINE-STARTER.

' Appiiciinoii ined March 2o, isis.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, HENRY E. VAN Ness, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmira, in the county of Clieinung and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a starter Vfor an engine such as an internal combustion enrine and the same pertains more particuarly-tothe driveoi transmission of such a starter. For the purpose of a-'clear and definite description of my invention I have shown and will hereafter describe the same as employed iii actual use in connection with the well known Eclipse-Bendix 4type o'f drive as exemplified in prior patents issued to Vincent Bendix, for instance. Patents No. 1,125,935, (lated January 2G. 1915, and No. 1,172,864, dated February 22, 1916. This type of drive is characterized 4by a rotatable member suoli as a screw shaft operated by a rime mover such as -an electric motor and aving a driving:` member such as a pinion mounted thereon and adapted to cooperate with a part, such as the ily wheel, of the engine to he started. This drive is adapted to be operated either directly or indirectly by the motor or if desired tlie same may be operated by hand.

The object of my invent-io is to provide simple and efficient means for preventing any creeping of the driving member or screw member on the shaft due more particularly 'to vibration which causes a, slovir rotation o the screw member toward the fly wheel or els'e a slow rotation of the shaft which results ma longitudinal advancement of the screw member towardarid against the ily wheel.- This creeping movement is liable to occurin certain installations ivlieie there is considerable vibration of the engine or where the-brushes of the armature do not considerable resistance against this rotation of the armaturevshaft due to vibration. VBeferrin particularly to the embodiment herei n iown, I overcome any possliilitybfr .creeping by providing the which extends transversely ot escrevvyshaftin position tov ooperate with the latterwhen the 'i'nion l,

tracted.. position ut to' 5 be entireiy neuheiten: after am sra mitin l-fnforcetlilongitndixiitl movement.' of the he of this spring wreuis Specification o! Letters'latent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

Serial No. 283,778.`

such that it prevents said creeping action but does not interfere with tlic proper operation of the drive. While this anti-Creeper device is shown in direct connection with the pinion itself it will he understood that my invention is applicable to a screw meinher operating on a screw shaft, whether such ,member be the piiiiou itself or comprise the operating or controlling means pinion. 4

'In the drawings Figure'l is a sectional elevation of a stai-teienibodying my invention; Fig. Q a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. l: Fig.. 3 a sectional elevation of a portion of the drive illustrating a dill'ereiit position of the pinion as compared with Ir ig. l; Fig. 4 a section on the line 4-4 of Fi r. 3; Fig. 5 a sectional elevation similar to iig. 3 but showing a further advanced position of the pinion on the screw shaft: Fig'. (i a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. v7 a sectional bottom plan view of the parts shown in Fig. Fi; fig. 8 a detail section on the line 8-8 ot Fig. 7-but on a larger scale; and Fig. 9 a modified form.

' In the present instance .I have shown my invention as embodied in the Ecli )se-Bendix type of drive and I have also s own such drive as direct-driven by an electric motor but it `vill be understood 'that my invention is not to be limited thereto but that the same may be embodied in structures of somewhat diti'eientcharacter and also that the drive may be indirect-driven and may in factr be. operated by hand.

for such a.

As shown the electric motor A has an exof the screw shaft., which is also in itself the pinion 7 is screwth'readed upon 4the screw shaft and is ada tedto move longitudinally thereon and va so rotarily therewith.' In` practice this pinion is provided with a weihted disk 8 whose wei ht consists of a thic ened flange 9:

= he ant-i-creeper device onsistsof-,gflght los spring wire 10 which is mounted upon the screw member or pinion in such way as to be presented tothe screw shaft transversely of the axis thereof and in coperation therewith when the pinion is in its normal or retracted position but fto the entirely free therefrom when in the com ass of the screw- 'threaded rtion 2. As siown, I take advantage o the presence of the weighted disk in the, mounting of this spring wire as it atiords aconvement means of support therefor with practically no change in the standard type' of construction of this-drive. In

Athe flange 9 are bored two holes -11 in the same plane and adapted to receive the ends of the wire 10 and permit such wire to ro tate. This flange is also cut away slightly at 9* to accommodate the bent or clenched ends 1010i the wire. This wire is so positioned on the pinion that normally, that is when straight, it will lie in the bottom of the groove 2" out of Contact therewith.

Describing the-operation of my devioean'd starting with the pats in the normal posi -tion shown in Fig. 1. when the motor is oper-v ated the pinion 'is advanced longitudinally lto the right into mesh with the fly wheel and after the engine has started on its own power the pinion is automatically demeshed and returned to its normal position shownl Upon the initial advancement of the pinion the wire will ride up on, the inclined Shoalder 2c of the groove 2*"and o nto theplain portion of nthe shaft adjacent the left .hand` end of th'escrew. threads. At this time the wire will be slightly flexed as shownin Fig. 4 but the tension is so slight as not to interfere with theenforced longitudinal moveof the-pinion suc which is o an increasing chamctenaitil rides out upon the plain-portion' of the ment of the pinion that occurs duringV the regular operation of the drive. The parts.` now occupy the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4l Upon the continued'longtudin'al movement Vof the pinion and when the wire passed beyond the limits of the-,plain por# tion and has entered the limitsf Ithe screwl threads, it will no longer oontactthe' screw shaft at allbut will take its position inV the ing absolutely free of the screw shaft after having This position of. the parts is illustrated 'in Figs. 5 to 8 wherein` the `wire-is shownas occupying said position in a groove between two .screw threads.

Describing the anti-creepe'rflv vancement of 4the -pnion 4due to vibration" this tendency is resisted bv'the wireiar ticularly 'when uplon4 a slight advanoemen 'wire'eomes into qqta winnie inclined-shoulder auf .the-gaeta 2" which rovides a. rictionaly longitudinal movement. By reference ooves between the screwv threads, thereby.

passeeLthe plain portion thereof.A

r ration; :and 'i assuming that there is a) ten ency' 't6 adf''' to oontactthe rotatablemember for impart a'ricl:,position to cause 'engagement anti-creeper means forthe screw member of a drive or transmission and moreover roduce a means of this character whi is operative' dnl when the condition in question exists, tfis when the screw' member is in its normal or retractedposition and is inoperative at pther times., that is when the pinion is bein advanced or retracted lo tudinally in 'ie regular-operation of nsie drive, at which timefthe anti-creeper means has no action whatever .upon the pinion or the screw shaft.

These means may therefore be said to oooperate with the screw member at the initiation of its longitudinal movement and to -be free therefrom in its vfurther or advanod t 'e wire i s` out of contact with t, e screw sliaft when the screw member is in its normal or f retracted position, so that when the drive is .the threads of the screw. g If desired that the wine Ashould not pass between the threads but press upon the top faces. thereof as shown in Fig. 9, then these holesare drilled in, another position which, with the same screw .shaft and pinion as beforevdescribed position..

'would be at an angle to the first mentioned ,1.claim:

1. Infan engine starter, the combination of af rotatable memberi a second member mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereofpfroxn a normal position to an adwinced position to cause engagement'witha part 'of theengine to be started, fand for rota? movement therewithfy and means car,

ried

Y the second member and arranged ,at the initiation of its longitudinal movement thereto 'a y'eldng' but free from:igual)` rotatable member inv its farther estudian-matinee.

"' n, an' 'engine starter, thelcombination of iifljottahle. meinber,4 a second member Ldied th'erepn'riongitudiaal in @gte a einem 1@ mercatini 'a 65 shaft. However, 1n practice the part of the 'engine to be started, and for 'ro-` impartingr thereto a yielding resistance but free from such rotatable member in its further longltudmal movement.

3. In an engine starter, the combination,

of a rotatable member, a second member mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof from a normal position to an advanced position to cause engagement with a part of the engine to beY started, and for rotary movement therewith, and a springr wire connected at its ends to the second member and arranged at the initiation of its longitudinal movement to have its central portion contact the rotatable member for imparti-ng"r thereto a yielding resistance but free from such rotatable member in its further longitudinal movement.

4. In an engine starter, the combination of a rotatable member, a second member mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof from a normal position to an advanced position to cause ei'igagement with a. part of the engine to be started, and for rotary movement therewith, and a spring wire mounted at its ends for rotary movement in said second member and arranged to have its central portion cooperate with the rotatable member for imparting thereto a yielding resistance, said wire being adapted t-o rotate and to yield when said second member in its longitudinal movement reaches a )osition intermediate normal and advanced positions, and to be thereafter in such advance movement free of the rotatable member,

5. In an engine starter, the combination of a rotatable member, a second member mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof from a. normal position to an advanced position to cause engagement with a part of the engine to be. started, and for rotary movement therewith, and a spring wire carried by said second member and extending transversely of the rotatable member and in Contact therewith only in the position intermediate its normal and its advanced position. l

(i. In an engine sta-rter, the combination of a rotatable screw shaft, a screw member screw-threaded thereon, and a spring wire mounted in the screw member and extending transversely of the screw shaft in position to prevent creeping:` of the screw member on the shaft.

7. In an engine starter, the combination of a rotatable screw shaft, a screw member screw-threaded thereon, and a springr wire mounted at its ends to rotate in the screw member and having its central portion extending transversely of the screw shaft and adapted to coperate therewith.

8. In an engine starter, the combination of a rotatable screw shaft having a. threaded portion and an Unthreaded portion, a screw member on said threaded portion 'of the shaft, and a spring wire mounted in the screw member and extending transversely of the sc rew shaft in osition to contact the said Unthreaded portion during the initiation ot the longitudinal movementof the screw shaft and to lie in the grooves of the said. threaded portion and free therefrom when the screw member is further advanced longitudinally of the screw shaft.

9. In an engine starter, the combination of a rotatable screw shaft having a threaded portion and an unthreaded portion, a screw member on said threaded portion of the shaft, and a spring wire mounted in the screw member and extending transversely of the screw shaft in position to contact the said nnthreaded ortion during the initiation of the longitudinal movement of the screw shaft and to lie in the grooves oi the said threaded portion and free therefrom when the screw member is further advanced longitudinally of the screw shaft.

1U. In an engine starter, the combination of a rotatable screw sha-ft, a screw ,member screw-threaded thereon, said screw member having a Hanged extension, andV a. spring wire mounted at its ends in said vejirtension and extending transversely of"the screw shaft in position to prevent creeping of the screw member on the shaft.

11. In an engine starter, thev combination position to prevent creeping of the pinion onthe shaft.

HENRY` E. VAN NESS.l 

